The Academy for Excellence
by xXPageturnerXx
Summary: Alfred and Matthew have been stuck with their foster parents for long enough, but when they are "welcomed" into the Academy for Excellence, their lives turn upside-down. The secrets they kept hidden their whole lives are known by strangers, and the mysterious Director keeps a watchful eye on everyone. Will Alfred and Matthew be able to survive? -Unknown pairings and 'T' for Romano
1. Prologue

**Hey, Pageturner here! So , just a heads up...I'm not really sure what this is, or what this will (or will not) turn into. :D I know, so helpful! I was listening to music and it kinda popped in my head, like most stories do, so this is what it turned into. I hope it leads into more, but I'm not sure...I guess it depends if you guys like it or not ;) Well, without further ado, please enjoy!**

* * *

The heavy door closes behind us, and my brother, Alfred, and I are left standing in a large office. Three picture windows take up the wall to our left, covered partially with dark red curtains, and the floor, made up of large panels of wood, reflects the dim light. A tall man with graying hair, the Director, stands behind a large desk in front of us; the wooden claw feet of the desk dig into the polished floor. I didn't notice the short boy standing in the far right corner until Alfred nudges me with his elbow. The boy's blonde hair is cut short, showing his large eyebrows, and he's wearing a uniform and strange goggles.

"Ah, you must be Alfred," the Director starts, staring first at Alfred, then at me, "And Matthew."

Alfred moves slightly in front of me, but the only one who seems to notice is the blonde boy and he smiles. Alfred focuses on the Director, "Ya, that's us."

The Director follows my line of sight over to the blonde boy, "Oh, don't let him frighten you Matthew. Arthur is one of our top students here at the Academy."

I nod as Alfred moves further in front of me, "What's with his goggles?"

The boy looks like he's glaring at us even though we can't see his eyes, "Why don't you come over here and find out _Cowlick_."

"What the-. How did he-?!" Alfred starts forward but I clutch his shirt, holding him in place.

"Now, now. Arthur, don't taunt the new students. Their…talents…haven't fully developed yet," the director motions toward two chairs in front of his desk before sitting in his, "Please, come closer. I feel uncomfortable talking to you from across the room."

I look up at Alfred, but he keeps his head straight as we walk toward the chairs. The sound of our boots hitting the floor is the only thing breaking the silence as we close the distance between ourselves and the desk.

"Please, have a seat."

Alfred sits down in the hard chairs first and then I follow, "We have ordered new ones, but they've yet to come in. The navy blue colour is truly awful isn't it?"

Neither of us answers.

"Alright then, right to business," he clears his throat before beginning, "Alfred, Matthew, you've both been requested to join the Academy for Improving Excellence in the Talented. Your parents-"

"Foster parents," Alfred interjects coldly.

"My apologies, your _foster _parents. They have both agreed, through formal letter, that you are to continue you education at our…prestigious institution. Now, as you are both considered, by our standards, to be 'scholarship students', your boarding fees, uniforms, classroom books, and meal plans are completely covered by government funding. Anything else that you believe you need is your responsibility. There is a weekly allowance given to our students, but as you are already being mostly funded, your amount will be less than the average student. I hope you understand?"

I nod my head involuntarily and Alfred glares at me quickly, "Good. Then without further ado, let me introduce you to Arthur K-"

"Arthur Kirkland," the blonde boy interrupts as he walks forward, "Top scoring student in my rank for the passed four years; special tasks trainer for level ones, like you; and high-senior by skill qualification. Pleasure to meet you."

The Director frowns, "Know your place Arthur, I won't be interrupted again."

"Yes sir, my apologies."

My legs begin to twitch as I try to work through how many years Arthur's been here. He doesn't look much older than Alfred, a year or two older then me at most, but the way he talks…I can't help it, "How long do we have to stay?"

"Mattie!" Alfred whispers harshly at me.

Arthur and the Director turn their heads to look down at me, "Well, that all depends on you. You see, this isn't any normal boarding school. Our students have talents…_gifts_ really, that most of our world will misunderstand or abuse."

Arthur stifles a laugh, but the Director hears it and stops it with a look before standing, "Your foster parents have made numerous reports about you, and eventually you-"

"Mattie didn't do anything! They're both liars! He-"

"Alfred. I do not tolerate insolence of any kind, especially from a seventeen year old."

Alfred shuts his mouth with an audible _clack_, "Thank you. Now, as I was saying, our school is for gifted individuals and you've caught our attention. It seems you are like the young men and women who attend our school, they also are born with certain…powers, for lack of a better word."

"Wait, so this is like, a school for freaks?!" Alfred asks suddenly.

Arthur flinches and clenches his fists, but the Director stops him before he can do anything, "Not freaks, unless that's what you would like to be called as well. You see, your foster parents have informed me that you, _both_ of you, have certain talents. Alfred, you seem to be incredibly strong, and Matthew has a talent for disappearing? These aren't unheard-of talents, but for gifts to manifest in brothers is quite rare, so you see the interest we have in your case?"

Alfred looks at me and we share a frightened look, we'd never told anyone about those things, "Not really."

The Director opens his mouth, but Arthur stops him, "Why not let me explain to them, sir?"

He thinks for a second, before nodding his head and sitting back down, letting Arthur speak, "The reason I wear these _stylish_ goggles, is to conceal my own gift and to keep the rest of you safe from it."

"What do you mean?" Alfred asks confused.

Arthur smirks, "Have you ever heard of the saying 'if a look could kill?' well, my eyes can."

"Now Arthur, don't fill their heads with lies," the director says waving away Arthur's words, "He has a specialized form of…psychic abilities, he can cut through anything with his mind. Arthur uses his eyes to focus the path of the attack; the goggles merely prevent his mood swings from ending someone's life on the Academy grounds. That doesn't mean he's the most dangerous student we have here, just that-"

_BOOM!_

Arthur jumps back as the building lurches, "What the duce?!"

Alfred stands up the same time I do and grabs my arm, "What the hell was that?! What kind of school is this?!"

"Director!" a woman with long brown hair bursts into the office and the building shudders again, "There's been a breach in the facility! A fight has broken out!"

The Director pinches the bridge of his nose and I'm struck by how calm he is, "Between whom?"

The woman's face pales instantly, "Antonio and Lovino sir."

_BOOM! BOOM!_

The Director freezes before jumping into action, "God help us, not again! Arthur, come with us, we'll probably need you."

"Yes sir!"

The woman, Arthur, and the Director run out of the room, letting the heavy wooden doors slam behind them, and leaving Alfred and I to wonder what the hell our foster parents had gotten us into.

"Come on Mattie!" Alfred says as he pulls me toward the door.

We jog after the small group, barely following close enough to see them, "We need to go faster!"

"I don't know if I can go any faster Alfred," I pant next to him as we lose sight of Arthur, who's trailing behind the other two, when he descends a flight of stairs.

We didn't make it much further before the building lurches again, and yelling echoes from below us. Alfred takes the lead on the stairs and I follow close behind.

Alfred and I could always run at about the same speed, even though he was stronger and could run for longer. It made running away from our foster parents easy, we'd never lose each other.

When we finally hit the bottom of the stairs there is one person the ground, pinned under Arthur's foot, and another pushed up against the wall by who must be another student. They're wearing the same blue and red uniform as Arthur.

The Director is standing in between them both, his race an unhealthy shade of red, as he continues a lecture we catch the end of "-need to learn to control yourselves in the building! We've already had to do extensive repairs from the last outburst!"

"Get your damn foot off me eyebrows!" the boy on the ground shouts from under Arthur's foot, which begins crushing harder into his back at the obviously unwelcome nickname.

"What the bloody hell did you call me you runt?!"

"AHH! It wasn't even my fault! If that stupid tomato bastard hadn't called me a fucking name I-"

"But Lovi, it was j-"

"DON'T FUCKING CALL ME THAT YOU FUCKING BASTARD!"

"Enough! Both of you are being sent to the white rooms!" the Director shouts before black holes manifest under both boys.

Alfred stumbles back into me, "What the actual _hell_?!"

The boys' screams are swallowed up as they disappear into the holes, and then the holes snap shut, leaving the hallway in an eerie silence.

The Director then turns to face us, suddenly noticing our being present, "Welcome to the Academy."

* * *

**So? How was it? I'll leave this as 'in progress' for now, but is it worth continuing? Let me know please! :D**

**Just a note, I'm really bad at tenses, so if you see anything wrong, please let me know. I've beeen trying to write more active (is that the word?) tense rather than passive (?), but it's really hard (or at least it is for me XP ).**

**Ok, well...I think that's it...again, I'm not really sure where this'll go, not sure what pairings will pop up if I do continue it. Let me knw if you liked it or not ;) **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, Pageturner here! Well I got the message! This story shall continue! I just hope it lives up to your expectations guys OTL I kind of freaked out over how many people liked it, so thank you! *heart* It kind of made my weekend :) Anyway, this is a bit of an extension on the prologue, I'm sorry if you find it slow -.-' but I'm posting the next chapter today aswell, so it maybe makes up for it...? I'm still not 100% sure on who's going to be here, I'll try to fit as many as possible without getting confused, but one pairing is for sure...SPAMANO XD ok, enough author note!**

**Oh, but one last thing, most of this will be in Canada/Matthew's POV...it might change...but I'll tell you when ;)**

* * *

By the time the Director shows us where our rooms are and leaves us to unpack, I'm too numb to do it. Actually I'm too numb to do anything…but Alfred isn't. He's been pacing and repeating the same things over and over again for the past ten minutes.

"What the hell! Mattie did you see that? That kid disappeared into a black hole, a _black freaking hole_! Where the hell did it come from, where-"

"There were two of them Alfred."

"Two?!" Alfred stops spacing to look at me in the doorway, shoving his hands into his hair as he begins again, "What the hell?! Why are you so calm?!"

"Alfred…"

"Mat." Alfred says as he walks up to me and grabs my shoulders, "We need to get out of here. This place is crazy, I-"

"And go where Alfred? Back home? We can't do that now. Especially if _they_ sent us here," I push off his hands, shaking away the fear building in my stomach, and carry my bags to one of the two beds against the wall.

The room is small and painted a dull white. The space between the two single beds is decorated with a green and beige rug, and the far wall is one large window seat. At the foot of each bed is a large chest, where I assume our clothes are supposed to go. Our room looks out onto a quad, but since we're up on the third floor, there's no door to walk out to it from our room.

"Don't unpack Mat.! We're leaving! This place isn't safe for us, and you're too young for any of this craziness."

I resist the urge to turn around and continue unpacking, "I'm only a year younger than you Alfred."

"Exactly! Meaning you're my baby brother, and I need to look out for you, and I don't think this is a good-"

"You're not the boss of me Alfred. I'm sixteen and can take care of myself."

"What, so you actually want to say here?!"

"Well it's better than where we were!" the words come out harder then I meant them to and I turn to see Alfred's face fall, "Al…"

He shakes his head, dismissing my words, "It's…you're right Mattie. I just…I don't want anyone to get hurt anymore."

I look out the window, down at my feet, the rug, anywhere but my brother's face. I know who he means by 'anyone'.

"Alfred, I just want to stay in one place for awhile," I finally say as I sit on the edge of the bed, "I'm sick of moving and running around and lying. I just want to…I don't know!"

Alfred walks over and sits beside me, nudging me with his knee, "I know, I'm sick of it too. All of it."

* * *

_[Flashback]_

"Don't ever do that again! Do you understand, Alfred?"

Alfred glares up at our foster mom; we don't call her or our foster dad by name. We never bother to remember them, "Yes."

"What was that?" she asks again, pressing her long nails into Alfred's arm.

He winces, "I said I understand!"

She lets him go, nearly pushing him into me, "You boys are such trouble! Now we have to leave again!"

"What?!" I cry out without thinking.

Her pale blue eyes flash over me and I shrink back against Alfred, "That's right. Because of _you_, you little shit, we have to leave! It's all your fault!"

Alfred pushes me behind him, even though he's not much taller then me, "No it's not! Mattie didn't-"

"What did you just say?!" She crosses her arms, threatening us quietly.

Alfred and I have been with her long enough to know not to answer, but he still does, "I said it wasn't Matthew's fault!"

That night I stumble into our room. Alfred's already in bed, but he jumps up when I close the door. I can still feel hands on me. The bruises, forming in their likeness, pulse as my blood flows under them, and my eye joins the beat. It'll be black in the morning, just like the rest of the marks.

"Mattie?" He whispers, climbing out from under his blankets, "You ok?"

'_No I'm not Alfred'_, I think to myself, '_My arms and legs feel like they're on fire. My head feels like it's too full, my eyes hurt. I can't see because my glasses are broken and I feel like yelling, but I know they'll just hear me and start again…'_

"Ya, I'm ok."

"Mattie, you gotta stop disappearing like that, next time they might kill you."

I shiver as I climb into my own bed and lie back slowly. I don't bother responding because we've already had this conversation before.

He sighs, "Mattie, I know you're still awake. Don't ignore me."

It hurts to breathe but I take a deep breath anyway and answer him back, "You know what I'm going to say."

"That doesn't mean I don't want to hear it."

"Alfred," I groan quietly before speeding through what happened that afternoon, "It's the same every time. I just felt tingly and numb and the next thing I knew, people around me didn't know I was there. She kept walking and I told her to wait, but then she notices me 'gone' and thinks I've run away. I try and follow her but she was running too fast. Then I felt a burning on my skin and then people could see me, hear me. She found be and brought me home…you know the rest."

My voice brakes on the last words as they fall silent. I can still hear Alfred, but he doesn't move closer to me, "Mattie?"

"Ya, Alfred?"

"I'm gunna get us outta here," I hear him collapse against his pillows, "I don't know how, but I'll get us out."

I force myself to roll over so I'm looking at him, and can see the faint light from our nightlight reflecting on his eyes, "Thanks Alfred."

He smiles, "No problem bro."

* * *

I fling myself upright, clutching unfamiliar sheets in a whitewashed room. Moonlight streams onto a floor I've never seen before…

_No, I have seen this floor, this room before…_

I let my head fall forward onto my knees as the memories of yesterday come flashing from behind my closed eyelids. I shiver as the sweat from my nightmare dries cold on my back and try to remember the dream, but all I can see is the two boys from yesterday and the black holes. I run my hand through my already messy hair and glance over at Alfred.

I can't see him well without my glasses, but I can make out that he's partially off his bed, with his leg hanging down and his toes centimeters from the floor. The blankets bunched around him rise and fall as he snores softly.

I try to slow my heart rate down enough to sleep, but I can't stop thinking about yesterday.

Or of where we were last week. With _them_.

I pull the blankets closer to me, even though I'm not shivering from cold, and force myself to fall asleep. Alfred and I start our classes tomorrow, and I don't want to be a total mess in the morning.

* * *

**So? How was this one?**

**Incase it was unclear, I just want to clarify that Matthew's being beaten by his foster parents, but that this would probably not go unoticed by his and Alfred's social worker, so that's why they're running around. So really it's not Mat.'s fault, but his cruddy foster parents don't want to be caught (they're just characters I've made up, not Hetalia ones, don't worry) :P**

**Well, onto the next one! (haha that song's stuck in your head now isn't it?...well, unless you don't know that song, in which case you're lucky) o.o**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, Pageturner again! This is getting into the story a bit more. As a heads up, there probably wont be much "Asian action" because I suck at their accents OTL I'm sorry. But maybe I just need to do more research on them...*goes off to read fanfic.***

**Enjoy! ;)**

* * *

I wake up again, and for a second I don't know where I am until I hear quiet voices in the hallway. Alfred is still asleep, even though the alarm by his bed is going off, so I stretch my arms and climb out from under the covers to turn it off. The room becomes blissfully silent instantly and I sigh, just as Alfred springs awake.

"What happened?" he slurs.

I ignore him and walk back over to my bed. The sun is shining brightly into our room through the open curtains, making it look much more welcoming than it was yesterday. I pull out my clothes for the day, "Come on Alfred, if you don't hurry up all the hot water will be gone in the-"

I stop at the sound of the door opening; Alfred has left the room, "-bathrooms."

I grab my face wash, shampoo, and a towel before following him out, closing the door behind me.

There are a few other doors open down our hallway in the boy's dorm, with sleepy forms in different stages of waking up. There're no windows, so the only light comes in from the rooms with open doors.

I round the corner that leads to the bathrooms and am met with a wall of steam as the door swings open, which fogs up my glasses and makes me bump into someone.

"Oh, sorry!" I say, silently glad I didn't hear anything drop.

"Hey, vatch vhere you are go-" the person I bumped into stops, "Vhat is vrong vis you're glasses?"

I try to look in their general direction before giving up and taking off the useless fogged up things, "They just fogged up because of the steam…"

"Oh," he states simply, "vait, I haven't seen you here before…are you new?"

I blink at his blurry face and try to listen through his accent, "Ya, my brother and I arrived yesterday. I'm Matthew."

He doesn't say anything, and after a few seconds starts laughing before walking away. I fight against the blush that I can feel burning my cheeks and walk into the bathroom.

* * *

"Good morning students! And welcome to a new year at the Academy!" the Director's enthusiasm is met with deafening cheers.

After breakfast, a school wide assembly was called, so Alfred and I followed everyone else and ended up in the largest gym we'd ever seen. Mats and bars were pushed up against the walls so that everyone could fit into the room.

On the stage, front and center, is the Director; his graying hair reflecting the floodlights above him, and even though he's far away from us, I can feel his pale blue eyes slice through me. He's not up there alone, though. There are what looked like guards, dressed in black formal wear with wire ear pieces, and three students. One of them is Arthur.

"We're here, like every other year, to welcome our new students! This week, classes will be delayed for the most part, so that the staff and I can properly orient the new students. We hope to have your undying support and willingness to aid in our endeavors."

There's more cheering as Alfred and I share a look, both of us thinking the same thing, '_Orientation?!'_

"Without further ado, let us show the new students what our school is for!" the Director raises his hands and as a mass, the students suddenly stand up from the chairs,

"_Through nature we are born. Through excellence we survive. Through practice we prevail and become the dominant. Through loss we meet our fate. We are the apprentices of the Order; the students of the Academy for Improving Excellence in the Talented. We are the Assassins!"_

Alfred and I stay seated, frozen in horror of what we heard the entire student body shout. Then of what we see. A few of the students sprout wings and launch up high above our heads, others jump up into the rafters and begin doing flips. Some skitter up the walls.

Their cheering and hollering drown out all my thoughts and my skin begins to itch and tingle.

Alfred looks over at me and his eyes widen in new fear as my body becomes more and more transparent, "Mattie, you gotta control it! Come on, don't do this here!"

"I can't stop it!" I try to shout over the noise in the gym, but I can see Alfred straining to hear me. His eyes glaze over and dance around where I am as the feeling stops. I'm invisible.

"Mattie! I know you're still here. You gotta focus on…on being seen!"

I shake my head as tears sting my eyes and my breathing comes faster. Forgetting he can't hear me I shout, "But I don't want to be seen, I don't want to be here!"

I notice someone giving Alfred a strange look just as everyone is leaving the gym, "Alfred stop talking to me, no one else can see me and you look crazy!"

"Do you see what you're doing, Mattie?! I look crazy talking to an empty chair don't I? Come on, everyone is starting to leave."

I groan inwardly and grab his hand, knowing he'll feel it, and I start to draw my words with my finger, "I. C.A.N.T."

"What do you mean you can't? You've done it before, hurry; everyone is either leaving or staring!"

I scream at him, but he can't hear me so I write it, "T.H.E.R.E.S. T.O.O. M.U.C.H. P.R.E.S.S.U.R.E."

"Bull shit! You've turned back accidentally and gotten us caught so many times before that it's not even worth lying to me!"

I flinch and pull my hand away, looking away when the fear fills his face again. He doesn't know where I am now.

"What the bloody hell's going on here?"

I look up and see Arthur looking between us both…

_'Wait, what?'_

Alfred looks like he's going to break as the words tumble out of his mouth, "I can't get Mattie to change back. He's invisible and h-"

I stand up, '_He spilled my secret so easily…'_

"Well I can see that you git, now what's the problem?"

Alfred gaps at him, "You knew?!"

Arthur crosses his arms, "Of course I knew. I'm a high-senior and it's my job to know the powers of those I'm going to teach. Now Matthew, hurry up and switch or I'll have to assume you're stuck and take you to the nurse's office."

"Wait he's still here?! He didn't run off?"

Arthur's brow creases and he looks in my direction again, "No, he's standing right there…you can't tell?"

Alfred looks between Arthur and where I am, "No…but how can you? Your goggles...?"

"I can sense him. It's something that I've been trained to do since most of the time my eyesight is comprom-"

Alfred doesn't wait any longer and he lunges at me before I can move; tackling me to the floor and knocking over a few chairs around us, "What the hell is wrong with you Mattie?!"

I feel my skin burn, but I shout at him anyway, "I didn't mean to, ok! It just happened!"

A few of the students still in the gym gasp, having fully believed that my brother was talking to himself, as I slowly become visible.

Alfred helps me up, but we don't say anything to each other, "That's really strange…"

Alfred glares and Arthur, instantly defensive, "What is?"

Arthur shrugs, 'Well, usually with brothers they neutralize each other when close to one another, which means they can't go on the same missions, but with you…you have no effect on him. YOu can't even see him when he switches. It's strange."

"No, it's unique," we all turn around to see the Direct approaching us and I instinctively move closer to Alfred, "However, no matter how special your talents are, there is no fighting in my school outside of the combat facility. Or else you'll be joining Antonio and Lovino in the White Rooms. Understood?"

I can feel my face pale as the blood rushes out of it and Alfred and I both nod.

"Good, now since both of you are new students, you need to stay here with the others," he says before raising his voice and addressing the others in the room, "Your first class is with Arthur, and he'll be teaching you how to control your talents this week."

We wait for a few more minutes until we can no longer hear the Director's footsteps in the hallway and then turn to Arthur, noticing for the first time the eight other students still in the room, "Alright then lads. Let's get started!"

* * *

**So? Whatcha think? Let me know with a comment or message! ;)**

**I'm not sure how long this story will be, especially if I change POVs, but judging by the length of these chapters, it might take a while ;) I hope that's ok with you guys...?**

**Until the next chapter then! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey! Pageturner here, with the next chapter! It sounds like the story's going good, I'm glad you guys like it so much! :) With this next chapter, I've challenged myself by adding in my favourite character O.O I hope I can do his awesomeness justice :S Any tips for writing him would be very welcome! I've noticed that some people don't give him an accent, but I have here (but if you'd like that to change, just let me know and I won't use it in following chapters) :) So Eli, Roderich, Ludwig, and Gil will all have similar (-cough-the same-cough-)accents ;) Just a heads-up. Well, I hope you like this one! OOO~ is that some foreshadowing I see there? ;)**

* * *

I collapse on my bed face first, and groan. Alfred doesn't wake up so I turn my head to look at him. It's been a week and I've barely improved at all. Alfred and three of the others who I started out with completed the training-exam on the third day and were now in normal classes. Two of the kids ran off or something, pleasing Arthur and the Director to no end, so it was just me and one other student; both of us feeling the brunt of their anger. I couldn't blame them for running though, I mean, a school for _assassins_? Who would sign up for that willingly?

I shiver as a new thought enters my mind,

_…what if it's not willingly…_

I shake the though away and roll over on my back. The time on Alfred's alarm tells me it's late, and my body feels tired, but my mind won't stop thinking. It's long after the moon has risen before I finally drift off to sleep.

* * *

"Shhhh! You're going to get us caught!"

I sit up in bed and reach for my glasses, leaving the light off as I slide them on and stare at the window.

_I could have sworn I heard…_

"Just shut up and keep going or I'll lose focus."

I swing my legs out from under the blankets and pad over to the window seat in my bare feet. I hide behind the curtains for a second until I hear them again.

"Zis is so not going to work, mon ami…"

"Just shut it! Ve have to get them out of there."

I shake my head, building my courage, and peek around to look outside. There are four or five shadowed figures out in the quad, huddled against the wall to the left of my window. One of them looks like a girl with long hair, but they're too far away for me to be sure.

_Don't they know it's past curfew?_

"Hurry up and get us in Eli."

I squint as the maybe-girl walks forward and presses one hand against the wall, "I'm going, I'm going…"

_Definitely a girl_.

There's a slight shimmering and then one of the other figures takes her hand. She guides them up to the wall and they-

_Holy crap! They just pushed that person through the wall!_

Without thinking I run out of the room, down the hall, nearly stumble down the stairs, and out into the quad. I instantly regret it as the wet grass chills my feet and the cool night air bites through my P.J.'s.

Only two figures stand by the wall when I got out there, a boy and the girl, Eli? I stay close to the wall, not wanting to be seen by anyone else who was woken up and approached them quickly, "Hey, wha-"

A hand suddenly slaps over my mouth, cutting off my words, "Who the frick is that, Roderich?"

I notice now that both of the girl's hands are _inside_ the wall, and the bricks around her wrists are shimmering.

"How should I know? God, kid you nearly got us found out."

His hand slides off my mouth and he pushes me away. I gasp in air as I turn to face them, suddenly feeling annoyed, "You're the ones who woke me up! What are you doing out past curfew anyway?"

I can see Eli's scowl in the faint moonlight when she answers, "None of your business kid, now get lost."

Suddenly her face changes and the wall becomes her center of focus, "Something's vrong. Roderich, they should've-"

Her eyes widen and she smiles as she then throws someone out of the wall with one hand. They collapse on the ground in a heap of black clothing and she thrusts her hand back in to retrieve another person.

"Nice timing, Francis. Vhere's Gil.?" Roderich says offering a hand to the guy on the ground.

He smiles warmly, letting Roderich pull him up and brushes off his clothing, "He should be through soon, but why is it good…?"

His eyes fall on me, "Qui est tu?"

I open my mouth to explain, when someone else is pulled through, and the attention is diverted from me to him, "Gil.!"

"That's it!" He shouts in response.

"Vhat? Vhat do you-"

The guy hangs his head, ignoring the hands offered to him my Francis and Roderich, "I mean it's just us. Ve failed."

"Vhat? But I thought they vere here?" Eli says as she pulls her hands from the wall, shaking off the small rings of shimmering air around her hands like water.

Roerdich moves beside her and loops his arm around her waist as Gil stands up, "They must have moved them, schwachsinner! Ve should have known he'd change vere it vas!"

Francis flinched at the sudden yelling, "Gilbert, mon ami, please quiet down, or else-"

"Hey! What are you doing over there?!" a watchman yells from across the quad, starting to run at us.

"Crud-mix, run for the tunnel!" Eli whispers under her breath and the group starts running toward the shaded side of the building.

"The what?!" I ask.

Eli grabs my hand, "You better come vith us unless you vant to end up in the Vhite Rooms too."

We follow the rest of the guys around the building and easily out pace the watchman. When we stop I can't help but gape at Francis. He's standing in front of the small pond, holding the water up in the air, showing an air tight vault-door at the bottom. I stumble after the rest of them on the squishy pond muck as Roderich opens the door with a _hiss_ and we all fall into darkness.

* * *

"Ouch! That's my face!"

"Vell that's my foot!"

"Who is trying to sit on the awesome me?!"

"Stop yelling everyone, we're trying to 'ide remember?"

"EEEP! Francis keep you're frickin hands to yourself!"

"Mien Gott, quit touching Eli!"

_Click_

I blink back against the suddenly bright light shining in my face and try to pull my self out from under the pile of writhing bodies. Eventually, after more kicking (unintentional) and cussing (very intentional) I can finally see everyone and where we are.

It was a large, dug out cave/room that had shelves along the walls and a large table in the center. Roots hung along the walls and small ones could be seen on the ceiling from the small plant life in the pond. There were three doors along the curved, far wall to my left, and up through a small tunnel in the ceiling I could see the metal door we fell through.

"Where am I?" I couldn't help asking quietly as the others turned to face me.

The girl, Eli, is sitting on the floor across from me, her brown hair just brushing against it. She has pale green eyes and a pink flower in her hair that holds back some of the shorter pieces.

She blinks a few times at me before opening her mouth, "Your-"

"Elizabeta, mon chéri…"

"Vhat? It's not like ve can't tell him now."

Francis, who has long blonde hair that touches his shoulders, holds out a hand to help her up. Then his blue eyes dance over my face, "I suppose it couldn't 'urt to tell 'im un peu, non? Roderich?"

All eyes turn to Roderich, who's taller than I thought he was. His black hair kind of flips up in the front and to the side, and he has a small beauty mark above his lip. His eyes are what startle me the most, though, because they're violet.

_Just like mine…_

"Vell, I guess it couldn't hurt," he says sighing, and I notice that, except for Francis, their accents are really similar, "My name is Roderich Edelstein, I'm a senior year student and head of this…erm…group. This is-"

"Elizabeta Héderváry. I'm a junior year and am dating Roderich," she states confidently, holding onto his arm.

At that, Roerdich's face flushes and he pushes his thin glasses up his nose to block his face with his hand, "Yes, right, anyvay. This is Francis, also a junior year."

Francis holds out his hand to help me up, "Bonjour, petit ami."

Roderich rolls his eyes as Francis pulls me closer to him, "He's a bit of a perv…"

Francis gasps and feigns being insulted, letting me go as he leans against the wall of the room for support, "Mon ami!"

"…and a drama queen through and through."

The rest of them laugh and I crack a smile.

"Hey! Don't forget about the awesome me!" I turn and come face to face with red eyes and silvery white hair, "Name's Gilbert Beilschmidt; sophomore year's most awesome student and the best assassin in training at this un-awesome place. What's your name?"

I look around at the strange group to see them all looking right at me.

_Maybe I can fit in here..._

I swallow nervously, "M-Matthew Williams."

* * *

**First off, if any of the French/German was wrong, let me know ;)**

**"Qui est tu" (which is probably wrong, you know, vowel rule and all that) means something like "who are you?" (...HA I just realized what I wrote! XD AW poor Canada, I crack myself up)**

**"schwachsinner" means idiot in German**

**...I'm pretty sure there was something else I wanted to note, but I can't remember what it was...DARN IT! :P Well, when I remember, i'll let you know ;)**

**Ok well, fav., comment, and/or follow! Let me know what you're thinking, I love reading what you guys write :D**

**I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, it's been- OH I remember what it was! XD but it's not important, so no worries...right ya ok, sorry, um, because it's March Break, I've be "procrastinating" on my homework...so you get fanfiction! yay! Haha, anyway, see you next chapter? ;D**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey! Pageturner here after a "short" break ;) Well I think the story's progressing well...but this may or may not be more filler-ish...I'm sorry! It's also kind of short...but I'll make the next one longer (maybe T.T) I know, I'm a terrible person :) Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks for sticking through this story and all the errors I've probably missed ^.^' I hope you enjoy where this goes because I know it's going to get kind of dark. Not sure how fast that'll be though ;) You'll just have to wait and see~ (heart)**

**Anyway, Enjoy!**

* * *

"There was a breach last night again, Director."

The large man sighs before turning around in his office chair, "Where?"

"North wall, sir."

At this he smiles darkly, "I thought so."

"…sir?"

"You may leave now…"

The young man bows before turning on his heel, "Oh, Arthur?"

The Englishman only turns his head, keeping his eyes down cast incase he looses control, "Yes, sir?"

"You're on watch tomorrow night."

The Director always makes him tense and he closes his hands into fists, "With all due re-"

"That is all."

Arthur resists letting his anger bubble over and simply nods, continuing to head out of the Director's office.

The Director's smile grows as the door closes and he jumps to his feet, "I suppose they've been in there long enough…"

He lifts his hands and immediately a fragile door opens in the air. The blinding white light momentarily illuminates the office as two figures stumble out, pale and shaking, "Now, I hope that there will be no further disputes?"

Both of them nod, leaning closer to each other, "Good, because the next time it happens, I'll kick you both out."

The already pale figures somehow pale even more as they look up into the haunting eyes of the Director.

* * *

I'm woken up by a commotion in the hall, and stiffly rise up. I didn't get back to my room until almost four and my head begins to throb at the idea of doing anything but sleeping.

"Mattie! Holy man do you sleep in! How are you not awake?!"

I blink up in confusion, "Al.? Why are you up so early?"

"I know right! I roll over and I'm like, 'Ohmygod, IjustwokeupbeforeMatie!' Imeancan- shoot, not the point. Anywayyouknowthoseguyswesawonthefirst-"

"Alfred, you're talking too fast, slow down."

"Right sorry," he says before taking a deep breath and starting over, "Ok, so you remember those two guys we saw when we first came here? They were fighting in the hall and then these black holes opened up and they disappeared, right?"

I rub my face as my brain tries to process the onslaught of information, "Ya, ok."

"Well, they're back!"

I sit there staring at him before collapsing back against the pillows.

"Mattie! Come on~ there's going to be a party thing at lunch or something~" Alfred whines, "Besides, you have to wake up today."

I roll over, "give me one good reason."

"Well, the-"

"And no, those two guys don't count."

"I wasn't gunna say that!" I sit back up and look at his suddenly beaming face as he continues, "Today's your exam day!"

_Well crap._

* * *

I was half expecting the gym to be filled with students, but because of those two guys returning, the auditorium was pretty much empty, other than the tester, Arthur, Alfred, Kiku, and I.

_Thank god…_

Kiku was the other student that has been training with me, and we got along all right, though he was closer friends with Alfred. He was originally from Japan and arrived the same night we did. His short black hair stopped above his black eyes and his quiet manner made it hard to believe he and Alfred were friends, but they were.

And he was up first.

"Alright, now we'll start easy," the tester says as he looks back and forth between Kiku and his clipboard, "You just show me what you can do. Simple, no need to be nervous."

"…Hai."

"Alright, then let's begin. Whenever you're ready," the tester says smiling encouragingly.

Kiku takes a deep breath, but doesn't let it out right away. He squares his feet, closes his eyes and then lets a small sliver of air out.

The result is instantaneous. Lost pages from behind the bleachers against the wall fly up in a whirlwind and our shirts snap in the sudden torrent of air. The tester's lab coat twists around his legs as he tries to keep his pages flat on the clipboard, and an eerie whistling pierces the room, bouncing off the concrete walls. Then Kiku begin to collect the air, pulling it against him with his arms and creating a tornado of debris around his feet. The whistling increases in pitch until Arthur, Alfred, and I have to cover our ears, and just before the sound becomes too much to take, Kiku lifts off the ground.

It's only a minute later when Kiku's faces begins to turn red as he quickly begins to run out of air, and the whistling dies down as he lowers himself to the floor. He closes his mouth and holds not only the air in, but all the debris and himself just above the floor. The wind shifts to a soft almost unnoticeable breeze as everything continues to hang for a second longer before dropping to the floor. Kiku lands awkwardly on his feet and stumbles back a few steps to catch his balance.

Alfred is the first to break the silence, "That…was…FREAKING AWESOME!"

Kiku blushes lightly at the compliment, "Hai,"

The tester nods, "Yes, naturalists are becoming rarer. You're display of control over air was quite impressive. I know how…uncooperative that element specifically can be. It'll be a pleasure working with you, Mr. Honda."

He walks over to us and bows to the tester, "Thank you. I rook forward to it arso."

Arthur shakes his messy hair into place, "Yes, well done, Kiku."

Alfred slaps my back, "Alright Mattie, you're up!"

"Thanks Al."

"Yes, Matthew Williams? Please advance to the centre," the tester says as he flips a page over on his clipboard.

I take a deep breath and wipe my sweaty palms against my jeans, "Sure."

"Alright, the procedure will run the same course as Mr. Honda's. So you may begin whe- where did he go?"

* * *

**Haha! Bit of a cliffhanger there for ya!...I think ;)**

**I'm sorry this is short, but in my defence it's been awhile since I've written...so ya.**

**How was this chapter? How's the story so far? Where do you think this is going?**

**Leave me a comment or message and let me know! :D**

**Again, thanks for reading, following, commenting, and favouriting this! It really does mean a lot to me (heart)**

**Until the next chapter then ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey there readers! Pageturner here, with the next chapter! :D Let me just say "_THANK YOU_" to all of you guys! I really almost cried when I saw the comments, follows, and favourites that I'd gotten after the last chapter! You're all so awesome! (^^) This story seems to be progressing nicely, there might be a POV change in the next chapter, but it's about to pick up pace real fast, I promise ;)**

**So, without further ado, enjoy! Oh, and I apologize in advance for Francis's dirty jokes, but really, what do you expect? -.-'**

* * *

"…where did he go?" The tester asks suddenly as he turns in circles, looking for the missing student.

Alfred whips his head around, "Mattie?! Matthew, where'd you go bro?!"

I blush and try to focus on being seen, but it's hard to concentrate with Alfred's yelling.

"Matthew~?"

Arthur rolls his eyes and slaps a hand over my older brother's mouth, muffling his words, "Quiet down! No wonder he's having trouble, your obnoxious voice is distracting him!"

The tester turns to Arthur, "What is the meaning of this Mr. Kirkland? Never in all my years at this institution has there ever been a student run out during-"

"Pardon me, but he hasn't left at all. Matthew's standing right in front of us," Arthur interrupts as he traps Alfred in a headlock.

The tester faces my general direction again with a confused look on his face, "Camouflage?"

Arthur smiles, finally releasing Alfred, "Even better, sir."

The tester's eyes widen as he continues to stare at a spot about a metre from my head.

"Now," Arthur begins to instruct me, "Just like we practiced, Matthew. Take a deep breath and focus on being seen. Start with your feet…"

I close my eyes and follow his instructions, taking a deep breath and focusing on the burning sensation that's started in my toes.

The room goes silent until Arthur breaks it, "That's it, almost there…"

"Dude, how can you tell he's close to changing?" Alfred asks.

His voice distracts me suddenly and the burning slips to the back of my mind again as my focus shifts to his words.

"Shut it you git. If you must know can feel his aura and it changes when he does; becomes clearer, less fuzzy…it's hard to explain, so just be quiet and let Matthew focus!"

I start again without Arthur's instruction, easily blocking out his words. I feel the burn start again, igniting in my toes and slowly licking up my claves. As soon as it reaches my thighs it jumps into my fingers and continues crawling up my torso and arms. By the time it reaches my head my eyes are shut in pain. It doesn't usually hurt this much, but because I'm forcing it, trying to control it, the process becomes slower.

"There, now step forward like you're walking through a door, shed the invisibility like an old skin or a heavy cloak…"

I listen to Arthur's words and quickly step forward.

"Mattie!"

"Well done, Matthew."

I open my eyes and see Alfred just before he crashes into me, "Al…choking…!"

He just laughs and hugs me harder, "Now you can stay…"

I almost don't hear his quiet words, but with how close we are I'm able to hear every word, and they send chills down my back.

I look up and see Arthur nodding his head at me in approval before looking over at Kiku and the tester, who are trying to hide their surprise.

"Invisibility…fascinating," the tester whispers, then shaking his head and writing hurriedly on his clipboard says, "I look very much forward to working with you, Matthew."

I blush lightly, "Thanks, I-"

"Matthew!"

I look around the auditorium for the familiar voice who called out…

"Matthieu, mon ami, up 'ere!

I twist around and look up at the stands on the second floor, right above the doors, and see Elizabeta, Roderich, Francis, and Gilbert hanging over the railing.

Roderich and Eli give me a thumbs up, but Francis and Gilbert continue waving their arms, "That vas awesome, Matthew!"

"Oui! C'est magnifique!"

Alfred steps closer to me, "Hey, Mat. Who are those guys…?"

"I'll tell you who they are," Arthur says as he walks forward, "I believe you, Mr. Bonnefoy, are banned from this wing of the school. Please vacate the premises or-"

"Oh, mon amour, you know your zreats only encourage me," Francis replies as he leans further on the railing.

Arthur's face flushes and he begins shouting, "Get out you bloody pain in my ass!"

Francis winks at him before laughing seductively, "Mon amour~, I didn't zink you'd mention _zat_ in public!"

Arthur's brows furrow in confusion before his face pales, then instantly becomes a harsh red, "What the BLOODY HELL are you TALKING ABOUT?!"

Gilbert shrinks away from the railing, "Uh oh, Francis, I think ve'd better go…"

Francis ignores him, stretching out along the railing, "Oh, I zink you know what I'm talking about, mon amour, mais, if I must explain. You-"

There's a split second of silence as Arthur lifts his goggles off his eyes, revealing the dark green orbs underneath, but it's quickly broken by a loud groan. Then the railing Francis is still sprawled along falls to the ground.

Francis laughs and jumps off, hitting the ground in a tight roll to absorb the impact. The remains of the railing and broken brick crash to the ground behind him, "Oh, mon Angleterre, you can do better zan zat, non?"

Arthur growls and Francis twists to the side just as the floor splits from where Arthur's standing all the way to the far wall and up to the ceiling.

_Holy crap!_

"Mattie? Did you see that!?" Alfred shouts over the rumble of the building.

I don't have time to answer before I hear running footsteps, "You guys should get out of here! You don't vant to be caught in the cross fire!"

I turn to look for Kiku and the tester, but I can't find them, "Eli, where-"

"Don't vorry Matthew, they've gone to get the Director," She replies before grabbing my hand and Alfred's.

Just then, Francis looks over at us, visibly enjoying himself, "Roderich. Un peu assistance s'il vous plait?"

"Right, but just this once, Francis," Roderich says before running up to the wall and beginning to climb it.

"How the hell can he do that?!" Alfred asks dumbly.

Eli smiles, "Rodi's good at climbing," he swings along the rafters until he reaches a sprinkler, then he pulls out a lighter and Eli laughs, "and destroying things too."

Suddenly an alarm goes off and our party quickly becomes drenched in water.

"You bloody git!" Arthur spouts as he continues to case after Francis, hacking at the walls and the floor by merely flicking his eyes.

Francis slides around even faster on the water-covered floor, "Now zis iz more like it, non?"

Alfred and I can't help but laugh as Francis literally dances circles around Arthur, slowly getting closer to him. Eli leads us quickly to the far side of the auditorium and up onto the stage. My heart's racing and I pray that Arthur's eyes don't flick over to us as Roderick runs up to join us.

"Well now what?" I ask, trying to be heard over the spraying water, the alarm, and the destruction.

Gilbert laughs, "You think that's awesome? Vell, you haven't seen anything yet!"

Eli shakes her head, "Gil. wait!"

Then everything goes black.

I can't help but yelp as I stumble back in the sudden darkness, "Alfred!"

"I'm here Mattie!" Al. says as someone grabs my arm.

"Don't vorry Matthew, I've got you," I hear Eli say as the five of us move together into a tight cluster of bodies.

"What's going on?" I ask nervously, trying to fight off memories of other dark rooms…

I feel another hand grab my arm and jump, and then the words are hot in my ear, "Isn't this awesome? You see Matthew, I can control the shadows in a room. But don't vorry, Francis can see fine vith the vater-"

I shake my head, not hearing any of Gilbert's words, "Alfred!? Get me out!"

I feel Alfred's strong arms grab me and pull me away from the group, "Don't worry Mat. I've got you, you're safe now."

I can vaguely hear Eli and Gilbert's voices trying to find us, but I can't focus. The alarm suddenly sounds louder, my body feels numb, and the memories of our foster parents' basement begin to flood my thoughts.

I drag Alfred to the floor as I start to shake.

_My breathing is too fast…I need to calm down…They'll find me they'll find me they'll find me…FOCUS! I have to practice…don't let them find out about us Matthew…shut up! …too fast too fast too strong so strong…can't…breathe._

I don't notice Alfred's shouting, I don't notice the room flare with light, I don't hear the doors burst open and the Director's voice stop the fighting. I don't feel Alfred stand up. I don't feel the worried hands that brush against me as I'm carried to the nurse. All I see is _their _faces, all I feel are _their_ fists, and all I know is that I need to hide and that not even Alfred can protect me from _them_.

* * *

**So...? What'd ya think?**

**Matthew's going a little crazy in the dark here . sorry Cana-chan!**

**I'm hoping to get Alfred and Matthew's "past story" in here somewhere, but I'm not sure where it'll fit in...maybe in a later scene...where it becomes intimate...between two characters...muhahaha ;)**

**Anyway, these are some of the "rough" translations, let me know if anything is wrong!**

French

"Mon ami" - My friend

"Oui! C'est magnifique!" - Yes! This is magnificent

"Mon amour" - My love

"Mais" - But

"Mon Angleterre" - My England

"Un peu assistance s'il vous plait" - A little help, please

**As usual, I hope you liked this chapter, let me know what you're thinking or feeling! Send me a message, write a comment, favourite and/or follow! I love it when my email is full with stuff from you guys!**

**'til next time then!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey! Pageturner here, finally! Sorry this took so long, but as I'm sure you know, these last few months have been crazy! -.-' teachers seriously need to talk to each other and figure out that we can't do four ISPs at the same time T.T Anyway, I finally got this done so I hope you guys enjoy!**

**Warning: use of bad language...not that that's much different, but oh well, you've been warned ;)**

* * *

Arthur's POV

"You bloody frog!"

I lash out again as Francis skims along the slippery floor. My eyes are already hurting from the strain of flicking them so fast, and he knows I can't fight for much longer.

He laughs, "Mon cher~? You're not getting tired yet are you~?"

I grit my teeth, "Not a chance you git! Now stop sliding around and fight me like a real gentleman!"

Suddenly the lights go out.

"Damn it Gilbert!"

The hair on my neck raises has Francis laughs close to me, "Mon cher, does the dark make you nervous?"

"When you're in it, it bloody well does!"

This just makes him laugh. I try to focus on his energy, but with the showers on overhead it's hard to make out where he is. The water distorts the image, like sound interference. For Francis, though, the water makes it _very_ easy to see.

"Damn it!" I shout.

His hands skim over me and I twist in that direction, swinging my fist in hopes of hitting him in his stupid cocky face, but hit only air. I pivot around on one foot, too angry to walk away and too worried that I might fall if I did.

I try to shake the water and wet hair from my face, but I can't tell if it's my hair or his hands I'm shaking off. Not until I feel his hand grab my elbow.

_His mistake._

"Gottcha!"

"Oh, really mon cher?" He breathes into my ear, right before tugging me forward.

I quickly take a step to steady myself, but my feet keep going until the ground suddenly slams into my back. I cuss and try to sit up.

My hands slide on the slippery hard floor and I growl in defeat; knowing that this wet floor and my clumsiness is not a good combination, especially in the dark…with Francis, "Fine, you win you git! Just help me up…but don't try anything, you hear!"

"Aw," I feel Francis bend close to me and reach up my hand to meet his, "Are your two left feet getting ze better of you? Or maybe I've finally-"

He jerks me up suddenly and presses his lips quickly to mine, "captured ton cœur?"

I feel my face burn, "You-"

"What in God's name is going on in here?!"

The lights suddenly flash on and I push myself away from Francis. The Director stands scowling in the doorway of the auditorium, absolutely fuming.

_His red face really makes his blue eyes stand out…_

"Sir, I can explain."

"I should hope that you have an explanation Mr. Kirkland! What do you think you're doing in here?! First of all, this is an educationally institution, _not_ a boxing ring!"

"I realize this sir, but-"

"Excuse me! Move!" Alfred suddenly shouts from the stage drawing our attention to him, and who he carries in his arms, "I said, _get out of my fucking way_!"

_Oh bloody hell no…please tell me I didn't…_

Francis gasps beside me and slides across the still wet floor to where Alfred is trying to maneuver down the stairs from the stage, "Mon dieu! What 'append to mon petit ami!? Matthieu, are you alright?"

Alfred pushes past Francis, shoving his shoulder forward to clear the way, "He's _fine_! Just get out of our way!"

Francis trails behind Alfred as they leave through the doors and head to the nurse's office.

My mouth chooses that moment to start blathering excuses as I slide my goggles back on, "I…I didn't…I couldn't concentrate on anything…the water, it distorted everything and the darkness didn't help and _bloody hell_…I wasn't aiming at-"

"Arthur calm down," Elizabeta says while walking off the stage with Roderich and Gilbert, "I don't think you hit him, I mean, he vas behind us the whole time and-"

"Would someone care to fill me in on what just happened?" The Director didn't even try to hold back his annoyance, "And could we _please_ have those shower heads turned _off_!?"

"Yes sir. Right away," I nod at the three of them before walking over to the Director.

"In my office then, Arthur…and you three, clean this mess up _now_."

I hear Gilbert groan as I follow the Director through the doorway, past Kiku and the tester, and up the far staircase to the fourth floor. The heavy wooden doors come into view down the empty hallway and the Director's secretary walks out from behind her desk on the right to open the doors for us.

After the doors slam close behind us the Director gestures to the chairs facing his desk, "Have a seat."

I sit down quickly, "Sir, it was a misunderstanding."

I continue to recap what had happened, trying not to pin too much blame on one person.

_I don't want to be the reason someone is sent to the white rooms_.

The Director listens quietly and nods his head every so often. I'm not sure when she came in, but the secretary appears next to the Director's desk and whispers something in his ear before handing him a slip of paper.

His eyes flick over to me and my words die off, "Arthur, I have some…unfortunate news."

* * *

Matthew's POV

My head's still throbbing when I open my eyes to a pink and white room.

"Matthew Williams?" A soft voice asks.

I turn my head and blush instantly.

_Holy crap…_

"Umm…"

"Mattie! You're ok!" Alfred suddenly bursts through the door and would have tackled me if the nurse hadn't clothes-lined him with her arm.

"I thought I told you wait out in hall," The woman says pointedly with a Russian sounding accent, "Matthew? My name is Katyusha Braginskaya, but you call me nurse Kat. I am Academy's nurse and Head of Healing and First-Aid. How are you feeling?"

"I feel bust-_much_! I feel much boobs-_BETTER_! Better, I feel much…better," I sigh and cover my face.

_I'm such a perv oh my god! But they're so-_

Her voice cuts into my thoughts, "That is good. Does your head hurt?"

I swallow and pull my hands from my face, "Just a little."

She nods, her short blonde hair swaying as she turns back to stand over my brother, "That is normal, no worries. As for you, does your throat hurt?"

Alfred coughs meekly on the floor and manages to squeak out, "Ya…"

She nods, "Good. Now you follow my rules, da?"

Alfred whimpers, but nods and tries to sit up, "Al., what happened?"

He clears his throat and manages to scoot closer to the cot I'm on, "I should be asking you."

"What? What do you mean?"

He stands up and sits on the cot beside mine, "Well, when Gilbert…_turned the lights off_, you freaked out and fainted. Then the Director came in, the lights turned on, and I brought you here. Francis was here to, but he left all of a sudden…so what happened?"

_Oh…right…_

I swallow and sit up looking over at the nurse. She was busy with something over at her desk across the room, but I still whisper, "I had a...uh, flashback."

Alfred's faces contorts with concern, "I…hey, Mattie I'm sorry...are you _really_ ok?"

I look down at my hands, hating his worry for me, "Ya, I'm fine, so stop worrying Al."

"I mean it Mat. If they're still-"

"I said I'm _fine_!" I don't mean to shout, but even still, it doesn't faze him.

He stands up, smile in place, and holds out his hand, "Fine, then let's get back. We still have to celebrate you passing your exam!"

I smile back at him, glad he's dropping it, and let him pull me out of the nurse's office.

* * *

Francis's POV (a little earlier)

Matthieu's brother, Alfred, collapses beside me in the hard wooden chairs outside the nurse's office, "I can't believe she won't let me be there for my own little brother!"

I nod, "What 'appened back zere anyway?"

Alfred shakes his head, but doesn't say anything.

_'e knows somezing._

I open my mouth to ask further when I feel it; a shift in someone's emotions…no, not just _someone's_. My affinity for water links me not only to the element, but also to people, being mostly water. An even stronger bond builds with those I'm around for a long time, where I can feel their emotions. Like now.

I stand up and begin to walk down the hall, "Hey, Francis? Where you goin'?"

I don't bother answering, but as soon as I turn the first corner another wave hits me.

_Merde,__ zis is bad…where are you Arzur?_

I push through the small pockets of students floating around in the halls as I run. I keep turning, trying to follow the waves of emotion that are now pulsing stronger and stronger.

_I'm close…_

I skid to a stop just after passing the large staircase and turn. I take them two at a time, trying to climb them faster, when I see him; sitting against the railing on the third floor staircase.

"Arzur, what-"

"They found him."

"…Who found whom?" I ask clutching the railing as I try to catch my breath.

Arthur's eyes finally slide up to meet mine, but they almost look…empty.

"Arzthur," I step closer and begin again, "Who-"

"Alec, my brother Alec," He whispers, "They…they bloody found him…"

My legs give out and I sit on the steps just below him, "Arzur, j'ai désole…did they fi-"

He shakes his head as tears slide from under his goggles, one after the other, "Only Alec, but…"

I feel my face pale, "Mon cher…"

"You were right. I should have listened…I'm such a bloody _idiot_!"

His voice rises with each word and I try to calm him down, but he just slaps my hand away, "Shut up! You don't understand!

"Arzur, you're too loud, someone will-"

He beats his fists against the steps, "THEY BLOODY KILLED HIM!"

* * *

**and CLIFFHANGER~**

**OTL I'm sorry, but muhahahaha :D**

**Oh no! Poor Scotland! What's going to happen next!? What kind of school is this!? Well it's gunna get dark children...or at least I hope it gets dark...if I can write this properly it will ;D**

**Translations:**

**Mon chere = my dear**

**Ton coeur = your heart**

**Mon dieu = My god (omg)**

**Mon petit ami = my little friend**

**Merde = shit**

**J'ai désole = I'm sorry**

**If I missed any or messed any up, let me know please! I'm sorry if the accents slip here and there...it's tricky to keep track of them all and figuring out where they fit and what they sound like -.-' and they seem to keep multiplying. Sorry, rambling ^.^**

**So, what do you think? Let me know! Comment, PM, favourite, follow! *heart* Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey Pageturner here with an update! Yaaaayy! Sorry it took awhile -.-' I got a bit stuck so I'm hoping/planning on writing a bunch of chapters before I post the next one (to stay on track better...?). Not sure how well that'll work out, but I guess we'll see...maybe...**

**Hey, shout out to Dragon Silhouette!: Thanks for the help! It's made these guys a lot easier to write! ^.^ I might still be lacking a bit in details, but I think it's because I'm only writing chapters at a time. Will be fixing that soon...hopefully -.-'**

**And thanks for the support from the rest of the readers! :D You're fantastic and I love you in a author-to-reader-over-the-internet way ;)**

**With that, I hope you enjoy!**

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Matthew's POV

Alfred and I had just decided to break into the kitchen for food to celebrate when Elizabeta came running at me.

"Eli, what's wrong?"

She shakes her head, "Matthew, there's an-" she cuts herself off, flicking her eyes at Alfred before continuing. Her Hungarian accent is thick with worry and makes it harder to understand her, "…never mind, just come with me, quickly!"

She grabs onto my hand before I can say anything, but I manage to send Alfred a sorry glance before we round a corner, "Where are we going Eli?"

"Rodi called an emergency meeting. Had me find you," She says between breaths, "For an invisible guy you're not too hard to find, though."

My brow creases in confusion, "Then shouldn't we head for the pond outside? We're going in the opposite direction."

I can't see her face, but I'm sure Eli rolls her eyes at me, "That's not the only way in, and because you're with me, we don't even need to find one of the other doors."

We turn down another hallway, and then another. Soon there are fewer and fewer windows and the lights overhead become dimmer, "What is this place? I don't think I've been down here before…"

Elizabeta pulls harder on my arm, "And I hope you never have to come down here again. Now come on. We have to hurry and find a secluded spot."

"But Eli, the halls are empty, classes are-"

"I'm looking for a specific spot that wil- there!" She suddenly turns down a much narrower hall and then leads me down a staircase. The air quickly becomes damp with the scent of wet concrete and mold, "It's easier to get there if I'm already partway down."

I'm about to ask what she means when she stops and turns to face the wall on her left. As far as I can tell the stairs continue down further into the darkness, but I can't see if they even end.

"What is this place?" I repeat nervously.

"It's called the Reaper's Ward, now shush, I'm trying to concentrate."

Eli's hand moves down to clutch mine and then she places her other hand on the wall in front of us. She takes a deep breath and the wall begins to shiver slightly, "Eli? What are you doing?"

"I said shush Mattie. Now take a deep breath and whatever you do, don't let go," She replies calmly with an eerie monotone that is almost hypnotic.

Her hand slides into the wall and before I can scream she jumps through and pulls me in with her. The wall seemed to give way for us, but not without a heavy, almost painful resistance. It felt like deep water, the pressure from the wall squeezing against my chest and limbs. I couldn't have moved if I wanted to and I couldn't see much other than the two of us, but Elizabeta seemed to have no problem running…though her run was in slow motion.

Eventually, Eli lifts her hand slowly in front of us and the darkness ripples and shimmers. Then we fall through the wall and land in a pile on top of one another, "Holy maple! Eli, don't do that ever again!"

I roll over and off her onto my back nearly hyperventilating, "Oh come on Mattie, it wasn't that bad."

I loll my head in her direction to see her sitting against the wall we must have come through, smiling innocently, "Really, that had to have been one of my best wall jumps yet!"

I groan and try to sit up as the sound of footsteps reaches my ears, "Where did we end up?" I ask quietly.

I try to look around in the dark, but I can't see much other than the dirt floor, thanks to the faint blue light from Eli's phone.

Eli stands and helps me to my feet, "I told you. Rodi called an emergency meeting. We're in the Pit."

"The what?"

"It's what I call where we meet. There are other names for it too, for security reasons, but it's not important now," Eli turns away from me and faces the darkness where the footsteps were coming from, "Rodi, is that you?"

The footsteps stop suddenly before picking up pace. Eli and I share a nervous look in the low light, "What if someone found-"

"Eli? Mattie? Is that- Gil, do you mind!?" Roderich's annoyed voice cuts through in English before he and Gilbert began arguing in German.

Eli laughs at something one of them says before walking forward and disappearing into the cloud of darkness, taking the only light with her. Panic shoots through me, "Wait Eli! Guys, it's not funny, turn the lights on!"

The darkness suddenly dissipates as light floods in from laps on the walls that had been swallowed up by Gilbert, "See Gil. You freaked Mattie out again."

Gilbert gawks at Eli, "I did not! It was Roderich's creepy voice!"

"My voice is not creepy!"

"Yes it is! It freaked Mattie out! Totally un-awesome."

"Guys, no fighting," Eli sighs before she turns to face me, her accent think with worry again, "Hey you ok Mat? You look a little pale."

"I-"

"Eli! Tell him my voice isn't creepy!"

"She can't because she knows it is!"

"Shut it Gilbert!"

"Make me Roderich!"

"Would you both grow up!?" Eli shouts, pinching the bridge of her nose, "Ok, Mat, you were saying?"

"I- I'm ok, really, it's noth-"

"Any time you tone-deaf bat!"

Gilbert fumed, "Oh I _know _that wasn't an albino jab!"

"Really? Because it could have been. You know the whole sunlight thing. Of course I could have said-"

Eli grabs onto my shoulders as Gil and Roderich continue arguing, "Just ignore them Mattie, they're being really immature."

Gilbert's voice makes us both jump, "And I'm not nearly as tone deaf as you, you hair-gel-obsessed freak!"

"You're the one who spends almost _two hours_ in the bathrooms in the morning!"

"That's only because I spend _at least_ an hour trying to clean up your goddamned hair gel off of all my shit!"

_SLAP! SLAP!_

"I told you both to grow up! Now shut up, sit down, and explain why we're here!" Eli shouts after leaving red welts on their faces.

"Whoa, I thought we had bad arguments."

The four of us turn to the farthest "doorway tunnel" at the new voice. Both Arthur and Francis were standing there, just on the inside of the Pit.

"What's he doing here?" Gilbert asks Roderich calmly.

Roderich shakes his head to clear it before motioning us all to sit around a rough wooden table, "He's the reason I called an emergency meeting."

The rest of us take seats, but Arthur remains standing. Eli looks from him to Roderich, "What do you mean…?"

"There's been another…'accident'."

Everyone around me gasps, but I just turn to Eli confused, "What-?"

"Shh!" Eli hisses before asking Roderich again, "What happened, Rodi?"

"I'm…not really the one who shoul-"

"He's right," Arthur suddenly speaks up as he steps forward, "They…my elder brother…the Director killed my elder brother Alec."

The silence that follows is as thick as the walls Eli had pulled me through.

_What?!_

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**So? Thoughts? How was this chapter? There was some new writing-technical stuff that, again, I wanted to try...so tell me what you think! Even if it's just fangirling...or fanboying (is that a word?) ;)**

**Comment, PM, favourite, follow! :D**

**Until the next chapter then!**


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